Van Kooten earns second straight win

When the day began, no one would have picked Teter Cycling’s Caitlin Van Kooten as the repeat winner of the Spring Series event Miss-N-Out. It wasn’t because people doubted the senior, who placed first in the Individual Time Trials with a time of 2:39.41, but because Van Kooten’s name was not even on the schedule to compete.

“There was a little bit of a mix-up when I went through registration, but we got it straightened out,” Van Kooten said.

The mix-up was the only speed bump in the way of Van Kooten as she comfortably advanced through the early rounds and into the final group on her way to a second consecutive Miss-N-Out title. While Van Kooten is no stranger to winning, she said it was not a familiar feeling to be going into an event as the defending champion.

“It’s a different sort of pressure on you. You just have to stay calm,” Van Kooten said. “I don’t like to look at it like ‘Oh, I may lose my title.’ You just still got to think of it as an opportunity to win.”

By winning the Individual Time Trials, Van Kooten earned the inside position closest to the gutter in each heat. While the inside position gave Van Kooten an edge, she said her overall strategy was simple.

“My goal is to always keep the pace high and make sure no one comes around me,” Van Kooten said. “My strategy is like the least complicated thing in the world. You want to make sure you aren’t gassing yourself and you can react if someone tries to come around you, but it’s mostly about holding that inside line.”

Putting the pressure on Van Kooten in the final round was Caroline Brown from Pi Beta Phi. After a neutral lap, the two entered the final lap almost neck-and-neck.
After hitting the back straight-away with Brown on her back wheel, Van Kooten turned on the jets to pull away.

The senior was all hugs and smiles after she cleared the finish line with a wave to her friends and family in the stands.

Although many cyclists and fans look at Miss-N-Out as only one of the smaller events that builds up to the Little 500 race, Van Kooten said it is one her favorite events because of the relaxed atmosphere surrounding the race.

“Basically, the whole Little Five community comes and hangs out at the track for five hours,” Van Kooten said. “You aren’t racing the whole time, so it’s a lot of hanging out with your team and talking to other people. It’s a fun day.”

Joining Van Kooten and Brown in the finals were Army Women’s Hannah Calvert (third place), Theta’s Kathleen Chelminiak (fourth place) and Delta Gamma’s Kayce Doogs (fifth place) and Kelsey Kent (sixth place).

For Teter, Van Kooten’s win may be a sign of good things to come. Last year, the team rode the momentum from Van Kooten’s wins in the Individual Time Trials and Miss-N-Out events on its way to the Little 500 title.

“It builds confidence,” Van Kooten said. “It always feels good to win.”